Ben Tre is a rich land endowed by nature with a year-round mild climate and a system of interlaced rivers and silt. With luxuriant fruit orchards, vast green coconut groves, Ben Tre has attracted a large number of tourists to experience the type of ecotourism, river gardens bearing the love of the people here. Con Phung is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Ben Tre.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Ben Tre Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket:
Spend-time: One and a half hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/phung-island-phoenix-islet-ben-tre/
Address: Located in Tan Thach commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province
Added values: The open space of the river and garden, enjoying country-style food, admiring unique miniatures, witnessing the hot scented coconut candy factory… all bring excitement and freshness. It brings happiness to tourists near and far when coming to Con Phung of Ben Tre coconut land.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Phung Island? Ben Tre City (14 km), Son Doc Rice paper village (55 minutes), Ben Tre Brick Factory (15 km), Thoi Son Island (11 km), Cho Lach Flower Village (34 km), Ben Tre Coconut Candy (2 km),…
2. Travel Guide to Phung Island
Phung is also known as Tan Vinh islet. Con Phung is located in the population of four spirits (Long, Lan, Quy, Phung). In which, Quy and Phung islets are located in Ben Tre province, while Long and Lan islands are in Tien Giang province. In some regions of Vietnam, often in the South, people use the concept of dune or isle to refer to the middle beach, which is a strip of land formed in the middle of a large river through the process of long-term alluvial accretion.
Con Phung was originally just a floating island in the middle of the Tien River in the 1930s with an area of about 28 hectares, but due to the abundant alluvial deposition each year, it has now reached over 50 hectares. The name Con Phung dates back to when Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam came here to build Nam Quoc Phat pagoda in the early 20th century. When this work was under construction, the workers picked up an ancient cup with the shape of a bird, so they named it Con Phung. In addition, the reason it is also known as Dao Dua island is because Nguyen Thanh Nam, when he came here to build Nam Quoc Phat pagoda, founded a sect called Dao Dua. Dao Dua advocates bringing peace, living by fruit.
The travel distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre will take about 1.5-2 hours. You move across Rach Mieu bridge, turn left, there will be a riverside road, there is a ferry that will take you to Con Phung. If not, you can go to the pier in My Tho, then depending on the number of people, hire a boat to go to Con Phung islet .
With charming river scenery, rich gardens and many attractive activities and services, every year Con Phung welcomes thousands of visitors to explore and experience.
When referring to Con Phung – Ben Tre, it is impossible not to mention the Dao Dua architectural work associated with the anecdote of the Dao Dua leader Nguyen Thanh Nam.
This place has many unique architectures that are still preserved such as: Nine Dragon courtyard, Hoa Binh tower, traditional room introducing the land and people of Ben Tre… After 50 years of construction, the relic still retains its original beauty.
Going deep inside, visitors can step into the “coconut maze”, have the opportunity to understand more about the people, life and culture of the coconut land at the Coconut Museum, a house made entirely from the trunk of a coconut tree.
Traveling to Ben Tre, coming to Con Phung, visitors can also witness the whole process of making these extremely delicious and bold coconut candies in the Southwest region: From mixing, cooking, and cutting candies. Packaging is made from the heart and love of the people here. And surely anyone who comes to these coconut candy factories also carries a few bags of sweet gifts from this Con Phung land!
Con Phung is like a miniature western village of the Mekong Delta. Visitors can discover and learn many unique features of culture and customs in the rustic life of the people of Ben Tre coconut land. Many families still keep their lifestyle mainly by beekeeping to get honey from longan flowers and some other flowers.
The scenery at Con Phung is very peaceful, poetic and what could be more wonderful when visitors can experience the boat ride on the river, stroll on the coconut-lined village road of Chau Thanh district – Ben Tre; ride a horse-drawn carriage, drink honey tea, enjoy tropical fruit dishes, listen to don ca tai tu, and especially experience canoeing through small canals flanked by nipa palm trees and green trees. The cork tree swaying with white flowers is full of dreams.
3. What to Do –See – Eat at Phung Island
Coming to Con Phung, visitors not only immerse themselves in the charming nature of the river, but also enjoy the rustic dishes of the Western garden made from fresh ingredients available such as fried giant fish, fried sticky rice with puff pastry, hot pot with fish sauce, fried coconut worms with butter, home-grown chicken porridge, coconut rice and roasted coconut shrimp… All of them contain the flavor of coconut that makes diners fall in love and remember forever. Definitely don’t forget to drink a glass of cool coconut water.
Experiencing the feeling of adventure, thrill, heart palpitations, and requiring courage is also something that visitors to Con Phung are particularly impressed with, bringing joy and relaxing moments when participating in water games such as cycling over a plank bridge, a zipline across a lake, a cable-stayed bridge, an areca bridge for balance … or transforming into a farmer in traditional clothes, trying to slap a ditch to catch fish…
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Ben Tre city center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in Ben Tre. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Ben Tre daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Phung Island
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Phung Island by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. Those days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from Google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Ben Tre village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in Ben Tre.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice Phung Island
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Phung Island (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. The Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
You can stay in a homestay which is near the riverside, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself and I hope you have an amazing Mekong Delta river sunrise.
If you plan to extend your travel to Ben Tre homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Ben Tre or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Ben Tre responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Ben Tre food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Ben Tre cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Cai Mon durian, Phu Le Rice Wine, coconut wine, coconut candy, coconut rice, snail pancake, elephant ear fish, Coconut Worm, Young Coconut Salad with Shrimp & Pork…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Ben Tre in the rainy season, as Ben Tre always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Ben Tre tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Ben Tre brick & pottery kiln, Coconut Candy Traditional Village & Small Canals, mighty Mekong river cruise, educational tour and community tour in Ben Tre, Ben Tre homestay 2D1N, cocohome homestay, Ben Tre cycling tours, Son Doc Puff Rice Paper Village, Dong Khoi Guerrilla Village, Vam Ho bird sanctuary, Cai Mon Ornamental Flower Village in Cho Lach, Ben Tre Museum, An Hiep Nhon Thanh Mat Weaving Villages, Ben Tre Night Market, Phung Island (Phoenix islet), Thoi Son Island, Turtle Islet (Con Quy)…
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Ben Tre province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
